Conference Report on S.1177, Student Success Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Kline for the opportunity to voice my support for this comprehensive overhaul of No Child Left Behind, which has been a long time in the making.

As a member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, I can attest to this conference report being the product of many years of hard work. I am happy to have been a conferee for the Every Student Succeeds Act, which, through a bipartisan agreement, provides more flexibility for our States, school districts, educators, parents, and students.

The Every Student Succeeds Act will establish a more appropriate Federal role in education by ending the era of mandated high-stakes testing, limiting the power of the Secretary of Education to dictate cookie-cutter standards, repealing dozens of ineffective and duplicative programs, and ensuring resources are delivered to where they are most effective and necessary.

I am especially grateful to the conferees for their adoption of an amendment that will instruct the Department of Education to finally study the fairness of the current title I formulas used to offset the effects of poverty upon young learners.

ESEA, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, was created to provide each student an equal opportunity under the law. But, unfortunately, we are still not targeting those areas with the highest concentration of poverty.

I am hopeful that we can continue to embrace the spirit of ESEA and ensure that we are always working in the direction of providing great educational opportunities for all children.

I want to thank my friend, my colleague, and my chairman, John Kline, for his leadership to accomplish this historical education reform.

I urge my colleagues to support the conference report.

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